Diabetes and endocrinology Flashcards
Describe the thyroid gland anatomically and explain the way it moves
A L lobe and a R love joined together by an isthmus. Sits anterior to the thyroid cartilage within the neck. Moves on swallowing as thyroid cartilage moves on swallowing.
What remnant tissues can be left from the embryological migration of the thyroid?
- Thyroglossal cyst
- Lingual thyroid
What structures can be damaged in thyroid surgery?
Recurrent laryngeal nerve - lies laterally on either side of the thyroid
Parathyroid gland - lies anteriorly
What is the blood supply of the thyroid?
Sup and inf thyroid arteries
How does the thyroid synthesise hormones and where does it store them?
Follicular cells secrete thyroglobulin - > thyroxine (T4) which is stored in colloid tissue.
C cells secrete calcitonin.
What is the difference between T3 and T4?
T4 in main circulation and is converted peripherally to short acting T3.
What are the actions of T3 and T4?
- Increase BMR
- Growth in childhood
- Increase HR and increase peripheral vasodilation near the body’s surface
- Increase myelination of nerves
What is the TFT of primary hypothyroidism?
Increased TSH and decreased T4.
Problem w the thyroid gland, often autoimmune.
What is the TFT of secondary hypothyroidism?
Decreased T4 and non elevated TSH.
Normally TSH def caused by pituitary disease.
What is the TFT of hyperthyroidism?
Increased T4 and T3, reduced TSH.
What factors affect TFTs?
- Pregnancy
- Lithium
- Amiodarone
What are the causes of hyperthyroidism?
- Grave’s
- Nodular thyroid disease
- Thyroiditis
What is Grave’s?
Autoimmune TSH receptors stim Ab. Relapsing and remitting disease, most common in young women.
What is nodular thyroid disease?
Excess secretion of T3+T4 from nodules within a toxic multi nodular goitre. More common in elderly people.
What is thyroiditis?
Inflam of the thyroid causes release of thyroxine. Caused by viral infection, childbirth and meds eg. amiodarone.
What are the clinical features of hyperthyroidism?
Caused by increased sympathetic activity: - Weight loss w increased appetitie - Insomnia, irritability, anxiety - Heat intolerance due to increased BMR - Palpitations and tremor Extra sx: - Pruritis - Diarrhoea - Reduced fertility and menstrual irregularity
What are the presentations of hyperthyroidism in children and the elderly?
Children - accelerated growth and behavioural defects
Elderly pt - reduced energy levels
What are the signs of hyperthyroidism?
- Tachycardia
- Warm peripheries
- Tremor
- Hyper reflexia and lid lag
What causes lid lag?
Increase sympathetic activity in the upper eyelid. Superior tarsal muscle is supplied by sympathetics and aids levator palpebris superioris (oculomotor nerve) to elevate eye.
What are the specific signs of Grave’s disease?
- Thyroid eye disease = lid retraction and proptosis
- Pretibial myxoedema = red and swollen shins
- Thyroid acropachy = clubbing
What are the hyperthyroidism TFTs?
- Elevated T3 and T4 w nondetectable TSH
- Subclinical hyperthyroidism = normal T3/T4 and reduced TSH
What are the other Ix into hyperthyroidism?
- Thyroid USS - can confirm if nodular thyroid disease but doesn’t measure thyroid activity
- Nuclear imaging - detects cause of hyperthyroidism
- Thyroid peroxidase Ab (TPO) is non specific marker for autoimmune disease, TSH receptor stim Ab is more specific
What are the medical treatments of hyperthyroidism?
Thionamides eg. carbamizole reduce the synthesis of T3/T4. They normally take 4-6 weeks to normalise TFTs and in the mean time a B blocker can be used to control sx.
If sore throat - need FBC, may have bone marrow suppression.
What are the SE of thionamides?
- Generalised rash
- Bone marrow suppression - if unexplained fever or sore throat do FBC to see if pancytopenia - stop meds if neutropenia
What are the definitive treatments of hyperthyroidism?
- Radioactive iodine
- Thyroidectomy
Describe using radioactive iodine as a treatment of hyperthyroidism
One single dose of 131 iodine.
Don’t use in pregnant women and don’t get close to pregnant women or children a few days after as pt becomes radioactive.
Can worsen thyroid eye disease and often causes hypothyroidism so pt will need life long thyroxine supplement.
What are the complications of a thyroidectomy?
- RLN palsy as anatomically close
- Hypocalcaemia due to hypoparathyroidism
- Bleed, infection
What are the primary causes of hypothyroidism?
- Autoimmune disease eg. Hashimoto’s
- Drugs eg. amiodarone + lithium
- Genetic defect reducing T3/T4 synthesis
- Iodine def can cause in neonates and causes ‘cretinism’
- Transient or perm after pregnancy + can be mis diagnosed as post natal depression
- Iatrogenic - treatment for hyperthyroidism or radiation to neck
What are the secondary causes of hypothyroidism?
Less common than primary causes. TSH def due to hypothalamic pit disease = reduced T4 and non elevated TSH.
What are the clinical features of hypothyroidism?
Sx similar to depression/chronic fatigue: - Weight gain - Cold intolerance - Fatigue - Bradycardia - Constipation - Myxoedema around eyes Most commonly an incidental finding.
What is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis?
Enlarged thyroid gland with hypothyroidism
What are the Ix into hypothyroidism?
- TFT = reduced T4 and increased TSH (increased TSH enough to diagnose primary but need T4 to diagnose secondary)
- Thyroid Ab to confirm autoimmune disease, TPO strongly positive in Hashimoto’s
What is the treatment of hypothyroidism? What are the problems of replacement?
- Thyroxine replacement - 50-100 ug/day
- Increased TSH = under replacement, non compliance of malabsorption
- Reduced TSH = over replacement, increases risk of Afib and osteoporosis
What is subclinical hypothyroidism?
- Normal T4 and increased TSH
- In this case asymptomatic pt doesn’t need treatment and thyroid func often spontaneously resolves
When should treatment be offered in subclinical hypothyroidism?
- Symptomatic
- Pregnant or planning
- Dyslipidaemia
- If +ve thyroid Ab annual TFTs to ensure don’t develop overt hypothyroidism
What are the parts of the adrenal gland?
Adrenal gland sits on top of the kidney and is made up of the adrenal medulla (centrally) and the adrenal cortex (on the outside).
What does the adrenal cortex secrete?
GAM:
- Glucocorticoids
- Adrenal androgens
- Mineralcorticoids
What do glucocorticoids do? What hormone controls their release?
Cortisol is the main one and it has a role in metabolism, controlled by ACTH. -ve feedback on the hypothalamus to reduce CRH, ACTH and ADH.
Highest in the morning and lowest at night.
Is only biologically active when free but most in blood is bound.
What do adrenal androgens do?
Have a role in puberty and adult females, (male androgens from testes).
Act on the sebaceous glands, hair follicles, ex genitalia and prostate.
What do mineralcorticoids do?
Aldosterone is the main one, controlled by RAAS and stim by Ang2.
Acts on the DCT to increase Na retention and reduce K+ excretion.
What is the adrenal medulla?
Is made up of sympathetic NS and secretes adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine.
What is Addison’s and what causes it?
Primary adrenal insufficiency.
Causes - destruction of the adrenal gland or genetic defect in steroid synthesis. All 3 adrenal cortex affected.
What are the clinical features of Addison’s and why do pt get them?
- Fatigue, weakness, anorexia, weight loss, nausea, abdo pain
- Postural hypertension (reduced mineralcorticoids)
- Hypoglycaemia (reduced glucocorticoids)
- Increased pigmentation (increased ACTH as no neg feedback)
What are the Ix into Addison’s?
- Low 9am cortisol
- Primary adrenal failure normally shows = low Na, high K, increased urea, hypoglycaemia and anaemia
What is the management of Addison’s?
Life long replacement of gluticorticoids = hydrocortisone or low dose prednisolone and mineralcorticoids = fludrocortisone.
Pt need to double G dose during illness and need to take IV in surgery, diarrhoea or vom.
What is an Addisonian crisis? How is it treated?
Features = collapse, coma, dehydration, hypotension, increased pigmentation. Treat = IV fluids and hydrocortisone.
What is the cause of secondary adrenal insufficiency?
ACTH deficiency - can be caused by long term steroid use which suppresses ACTH. Sudden stopping of steroids can cause an adrenal crisis.
What are the disorders of the adrenal medulla?
- Phaeochromocytoma
- Paraganglioma
What are phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas?
Tumours that release excess catecholamines.
Phaeochromocytoma stems from the adrenal medulla but a paraganglioma stems from extra adrenal chromaffin tissue.
When are disorders of the adrenal medulla suspected to have a familial link?
- When a pt presents at a young age
- When the tumour is bilateral, malignant or extra adrenal
Will need to do genetic testing to confirm.
What are the clinical features of paheochromocytomas and paragangliomas?
- Sweating
- Palpitations, anxiety, panic attacks
- Headaches
- 90% have HTN
- If untreated = hypertensive crisis
What are the clinical features of a hypertensive crisis?
Huge HTN with organ damage - encephalopathy, pulm oedema, hyperglycaemia, cardiac arrhythmia. Can cause death.
What are the Ix into phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas?
- 24 hr catecholamine and plasma metanephrine (will be elevated)
- CT/MRI to localise tumour, abdo normally but can do full body
What is the definitive management of phaechromocytomas and paragangliomas?
Surgical excision, either lapro or open = removal of one or both of the adrenal glands.
What is the medical management of phaechromocytomas and paragangliomas? What order do you do it in?
All pt diagnosed with either need to be on a/B blockade.
a = phenoxybenzamine or doxazosin. Do a first to avoid a adrenergic stim which could cause HTN crisis. Add B blocker to control tachycardia if needed.
Draw the anatomy of the pituitary gland and label nearby structures
Answers on iPad
What is within the cavernous sinus?
Cranial nerves: - 3 = oculomotor - 4 = trochlear - 6 = abducens - Va and b branches of trigeminal (5) and the int carotid artery.
What are the 5 pituitary axes?
- Growth axis
- Thyroid axis
- Gonadal axis
- Prolactin axis
- Adrenal axis